Knowledge Base

How do I change the Z18 filament?

It is easiest to use the color that is already in the printer, but if you need a specific color for your print, you can go through the unloading and loading process to change it out.

Unloading the filament:

To unload the filament, navigate to the “Filament” section on the Makerbot screen and select “Unload Filament.” The extruder will heat up to its necessary temperature, which will take several minutes. It will then automatically unload the filament. Once it finishes, it will alert you, and you can pull the filament out of the extruder on the top of the machine. You can also dismiss the notification on screen. Wrap the filament around the appropriately-colored spool above the printer to avoid making a tangled mess.

Loading the filament:

To load the filament, you first need to cut the tip of the filament spool to give it a clean edge. Cut 45 degrees against the filament to give it a sharp edge.

Pull down the filament color you’d like to use from above the printer. Take the filament tip and feed it into the extruder at the top of the printer.

You can now navigate to “Filament” on the Makerbot. Select “Load Filament.” Once the extruder is done heating, push the filament through the hole at the top of the extruder. Look at the bottom of the extruder to see if filament starts to emerge from the nozzle. Continue pushing the filament in until you see it emerge. Once it does, stop the loading process on the screen by selecting “Ok, filament is extruding.”